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Compassion and the Path to Enlightenment: Siddhartha's Journey and the Sangha's Formation
Thay recounts the story of Siddhārtha’s enlightenment, from his initial practice of asceticism till the time he sat under the Bodhi tree, where he finally experienced what he was looking for, the Great Way. His enlightenment led to the formation of the original Sangha, which grew very soon to include hundreds of monks. Thay offers a detailed explanation of the six togethernesses, or six harmonies, which form the basis for the happiness of a Sangha. He also explained the importance of the saṅghakarman procedure, which brings about a synthesis of all ideas and provides a way to reach consensus in the Sangha.
Thay also explained how crucial is the practice of the mindfulness trainings for the happiness of the Sangha, emphasising how mindfulness of love protects us and our practice. He gave an example of how to practice the third mindfulness training, and how important this training is for teachers, because if a teacher misbehaves, for example by sleeping with a student, that will destroy the Sangha and himself or herself. Thay concludes by presenting the insights of Chapter 25 of the Lotus Sutra, centred on mindfulness of compassion, which can heal even the strongest sexual desire in us.
This is the seventh talk in a series of thirteen given during The Hands of the Buddha, twenty-one-day retreat in the year 2002. Thay offered this talk at the Lower Hamlet, Plum Village, France.
Part of the following collections
Walking the Twelve Links: Mindful Steps as Living Sangha